Cognitive

[MJo]

Psychiatric nurse/counselor recommended I read the book Understanding Women with AD/HD by Nadeau and Quinn. As someone who took Arimidex and is currently on Femara, I was very interested in the following info from the book:

"Symptoms shaed by women in low-estrogen states include depression, irribility, sleep distrubance, anxiety, panic, difficulty concentrating and memory and cognitive dysfunction"

"Dealing with depression and cognitive deficis associatged with decreasing levels of estrogen in perimonopause or menopause [or estrogen blockers and menopause. Good Grief!] may cause women with AD/HD [or a perfectly normal woman, IMHO] to become less functional as they enter this phase of their life.

"During menopause, many women report experiencing a decline in cognitive functioning, including a decease in mental clarity and short-term memory.

"As estrogen level falls ... brain volume in females begins to decline. This atrophy occurs mainly in the hippocampus and the parietal lobe, areas primarily associated with memory and cognition [Oh, my poor shrinking hippocampus]."

OK ladies. I brought complaints about my memory, cognitive functioning, etc. to my young female GP. She knows I'm on Femara. She told me the memory and cognitive trouble is not normal. I'm too young (57), so she send me to the neurologist (He says I'm ok) and now I'm with the psych nurse who thinks I may have ADD. Looking back over my life, I think it's possible that I very well do have ADD. However, I am surprised that my GP didn't give me a little reassurance that a post-menopause women who is taking Femara to remove every tiny trace of Estrogen from her poor shrinking brain may very well experience memory and cognitive problems. I think I will have to educate her by showing her the chapter on Hormonal Influences in this book.

[R.B.]

Its the Omega 3s in part.

Oestrogen increases women's ability to convert the plant based Omega 3 to DHA and EPA by a factor of 10 over men.

Women have smaller more neuron dense brains.

DHA is essential to brain structure and function.

"Symptoms shared by women in low-estrogen states include depression, irritability, sleep disturbance, anxiety, panic, difficulty concentrating and memory and cognitive dysfunction"

All the above a improved to varying extent by improved Omega 3 status.


The only way to improve the Omega 3 long chain with certainty is to increase intake of fish/ shellfish/ oily fish/ fish oil etc, as with falling oestrogen your body may not make it very well from the plant based Omega 3s in flax etc.

It is all in my book :-) which I am updating at the moment with an easy how to section.

(Omega Six The Devils Fat www.omegasixthedevilsfat.com

[Barbara H.]

This past weekend I was at the Learning and the Brain Conference in Cambridge, MA for three days. I heard many prominent neurologists, psychologists, and educators speak about new research. Some of the speakers spoke about ADHD. There is evidence that exercise and aerobics can increase the efficiency of the brain, decrease depression and anxiety, as well as significantly lower the risk of Alzheimers. In some cases it is as effective as medication. I've been convinced to head to the gym more often. I'm also making sure that my students go out for recess, even when the weather is not great, which is often the case in the Boston area.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!
Barbara H.
P.S. If you are interested in learning more go on the web to Learning and the Brain, Boston, and you will fiind the speakers. You can then go to their websites and get more information. There will be another conference in San Francisco in February, and in Washington, D.C. in May.